Technology

HOME MORTGAGE LENDING REBOUNDS NATIONWIDE WITH ACROSS-THE-BOARD GAINS IN SECOND QUARTER OF 2024

Published

4 months ago

August 29, 2024

Residential Loans Surge 23 Percent Quarterly, Climbing Back to Levels from a Year Earlier; Purchase, Refinance and Home-Equity Lending All Increase; Despite Shift, Lending Activity Still Off Nearly Two-Thirds from 2021 Peak

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property, and real estate data, today released its second-quarter 2024 U.S. Residential Property Mortgage Origination Report, which shows that 1.62 million mortgages secured by residential property (1 to 4 units) were issued in the United States during the second quarter, representing a 23.2 percent increase over the prior three-month period.

The spike still left total residential lending activity down 1.6 percent from the second quarter of 2023 and 61.2 percent from a high point hit in 2021. But it marked the first gain in a year and boosted the number of residential loans back up close to the level from a year earlier. The rebound came amid a strong Spring home-buying season and mortgage interest rates that dipped downward after months of increases.

The increase in overall lending resulted from improvements across all major categories of residential loans, especially for home buying. Purchase-loan activity jumped 32.7 percent quarterly, to about 783,000, refinance deals rose by 10.3 percent, to about 546,000, and home-equity credit lines shot up 26.5 percent, to about 286,000.

Measured monetarily, lenders issued nearly $533 billion worth of residential mortgages in the second quarter of 2024. That was up 27.6 percent from the first quarter of 2024 and 1.1 percent from the second quarter of last year.

The varying increases among different loan types boosted the share of residential mortgages for home purchases, while reducing the proportion of refinancing loans. Purchase loans remained the most common form of mortgages around the U.S. in early 2024, comprising almost half of all mortgages, followed by refinance packages and home-equity lending.

“The mortgage industry got one of its biggest boosts in years during the second quarter, supported by a combination of the usual Springtime home-buyer demand coupled with more attractive mortgage rates,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “However, a cautionary note is warranted, as we shouldn’t read too much into one great quarter. A similar trend occurred last Spring, with lending dropping off significantly later in the year. But with interest rates settling down and projections for more cuts from the Federal Reserve over the coming months, it wouldn’t be surprising if business increased even more for lenders over the rest of 2024, or at least didn’t drop significantly.”

Total lending recovers losses over the past year but remains well below peaks
Banks and other lenders issued a total of 1,615,281 residential mortgages in the second quarter of 2024, up from 1,311,377 in first quarter of 2024.

The latest total was still down slightly from 1,642,100 in the second quarter of 2023 and remained far behind a recent high point of 4,167,656 hit in the first quarter of 2021. But the recent gain mostly reversed three straight quarters of declines.

A total of $532.7 billion was lent to home owners and buyers in the second quarter of this year. That was up from $417.4 billion in the prior quarter and from $526.8 billion in the second quarter of 2023, although still less than half the recent peak of $1.3 trillion in 2021.

Overall lending activity followed a similar pattern at the metropolitan area level. The total rose from the first quarter to the second quarter of this year in 201, or 98 percent, of the 205 metropolitan statistical areas around the U.S. that had a population of 200,000 or more and at least 1,000 total residential mortgages issued from April through June of 2024. But it remained down from the second quarter of 2023 in 118, or 58 percent, of the metro areas analyzed.

The largest quarterly increases were in Boulder, CO (total lending up 106.5 percent from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2024); Honolulu, HI (up 100.2 percent); Appleton, WI (up 63.1 percent); Sioux Falls, SD (up 56.8 percent) and Champaign, IL (up 54.7 percent).

Aside from Honolulu, metro areas with a population of least 1 million that had the biggest increases in total loans from the first to the second quarter of 2024 were San Jose, CA (up 46 percent); Minneapolis MN (up 44.3 percent); Indianapolis, IN (up 42.3 percent) and Boston, MA (up 35.4 percent).

The only metro areas with enough data to analyze where lending went down quarterly were Pensacola, FL (down 19.8 percent); Buffalo, NY (down 16.1 percent); Atlantic City, NJ (down 2.4 percent) and Springfield, IL (down 1.7 percent)

Measured annually, the largest declines in total lending among metro areas with a population of at least 1 million were in San Antonio, TX (total lending down 19.1 percent from the second quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2024); St. Louis, MO (down 14.9 percent); Austin, TX (down 13.9 percent); Dallas, TX (down 11.5 percent) and Buffalo, NY (down 11 percent).

Purchase mortgages, also up quarterly but slightly down annually, remain top loan type
The second-quarter purchase-loan total of 782,937 was up from 590,058 in the first quarter of 2024 while the $311 billion dollar volume of purchase loans was 39.2 percent higher than the $223.4 billion first-quarter level.

But the total was off 7 percent from 841,984 a year earlier and remained 50 percent lower than a high point hit in the Spring of 2021. The dollar amount was still off by 2.2 percent from $318.1 billion in the second quarter of last year and 42 percent beneath the 2021 peak.

Residential purchase-mortgage originations increased quarterly in 98 percent of the 205 metro areas in the report, while remaining down annually in 74 percent of those markets.

The largest quarterly increases were in Wichita, KS (purchase loans up 183.5 percent from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2024); Boulder, CO (up 148.8 percent); Honolulu, HI (up 143.5 percent); Indianapolis, IN (up 86.8 percent) and Fort Wayne, IN (up 82.8 percent).

Aside from Honolulu and Indianapolis, the biggest quarterly increases in metro areas with a population of at least 1 million in the second quarter of 2024 came in San Jose, CA (up 68.5 percent); Boston, MA (up 65.9 percent) and Minneapolis, MN (up 60 percent).

The top annual decreases in purchase lending in metro areas with a population of at least 1 million were in San Antonio, TX (down 32 percent from the second quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2024); Dallas, TX (down 24 percent); Austin, TX (down 22.1 percent); Houston, TX (down 20.3 percent) and St. Louis, MO (down 19.6 percent).

The portion of all lending comprised by purchase mortgages rose for the first time in a year. It increased to 48.5 percent in the second quarter of 2024, from 45 percent in the prior quarter, although still down from 51.3 in the second quarter of 2023. Loans issued to buyers remained the most common loan category, way up from 29.7 percent in early 2021 when refinance deals were dominating the lending business.

Refinance mortgages turn back upward
Lenders issued 545,928 residential refinance mortgages in the second quarter of 2024. That was up from 494,862 in the first quarter of 2024 and 503,364 a year earlier.

The most recent figure represented the latest in a series of small comebacks after a spike in interest rates in 2021 and 2022 sent refinance lending downward by more than 80 percent.

The $168.1 billion dollar volume of refinance packages in the second quarter of 2024 was up 10.6 percent from $152 billion in the prior quarter and 8.5 percent from $155 billion in the second quarter of 2023.

Refinancing activity increased quarterly in 80 percent and annually in 76 percent of the metro areas around the U.S. with enough data to analyze.

The largest quarterly increases were in Honolulu, HI (refinance loans up 69.7 percent from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2024); Sioux Falls, SD (up 54.5 percent); Boulder, CO (up 54.5 percent); Champaign, IL (up 53.1 percent) and Appleton, WI (up 50 percent).

Aside from Honolulu, metro areas with a population of least 1 million where refinance activity increased most quarterly were Providence, RI (up 29 percent); Minneapolis, MN (up 24.9 percent); Detroit, MI (up 24.7 percent) and Kansas City, MO (up 23.2 percent).

Metro areas with a population of least 1 million and the largest year-over-year increases in the number of refinance loans were Honolulu (up 43.9 percent from the second quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2024); Birmingham, AL (up 28.8 percent); Phoenix, AZ (up 26.9 percent); Las Vegas, NV (up 26.8 percent) and Tucson, AZ (up 26.7 percent).

Refinance packages comprised 33.8 percent of all loan originations in the second quarter of 2024. That was down from 37.7 percent in the prior quarter and far less than the 65.8 percent portion in the first quarter of 2021.

HELOC lending also climbs, nearly reaching levels from a year earlier
Home-equity lines of credit (HELOCs) also increased, going from 226,417 in the first quarter of 2024 to 286,416 in the second quarter. The improvement nearly wiped away losses sustained over the prior year, approaching the figure of 296,752 in the second quarter of 2023.

The $53.6 billion volume of HELOC loans in the second quarter of 2024 was up from $42 billion in the prior three-month period, almost equaling the $53.7 billion lent in the second quarter of last year.

HELOCs comprised 17.7 percent of all loans in the most recent quarter. That was down from 18.1 percent in the second quarter of 2023 but was still almost four times the level recorded in 2020.

HELOC mortgage originations increased from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2024 in 98 percent of the metro areas analyzed. The largest quarterly increases in metro areas with a population of at least 1 million were in Rochester, NY (up 49.6 percent); Detroit, MI (up 47.6 percent); Minneapolis, MN (up 40.6 percent); Milwaukee, WI (up 38.3 percent) and Grand Rapids, MI (up 38.2 percent).

FHA and VA loan percentages decline
Mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) decreased in the second quarter of 2024 as a percentage of all home loans after 10 straight quarterly increases. They accounted for 223,919, or 13.9 percent, of all residential property loans originated in the second quarter of 2024. That was down from 16.4 percent in the first quarter of this year, although still up from 13.6 percent in the second quarter of 2023.

Residential loans backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) totaled 81,864, or 5.1 percent, of all residential property loans originated in the second quarter of 2024. That was down from 5.4 percent in both the previous quarter and the second quarter of 2023.

Typical purchase loan and down-payment percentage increase along with home prices
As the national median home price hit a new high in the second quarter of 2024, the typical single-family home loan and median down-payment percentage both rose.

Among homes purchased with financing in the second quarter of 2024, the median loan amount climbed to $368,207. That was up 7.2 percent from $343,561 in the prior quarter and 8.4 percent from $339,625 a year earlier.

Also rising was the median down payment, going up 11.1 percent quarterly, to $24,250; although it was still down 7.7 percent from a year earlier.

Report methodology

ATTOM analyzed recorded mortgage and deed of trust data for single-family homes, condos, town homes and multi-family properties of two to four units for this report. Each recorded mortgage or deed of trust was counted as a separate loan origination. Dollar volume was calculated by multiplying the total number of loan originations by the average loan amount for those loan originations.

About ATTOM
ATTOM provides premium property data to power products that improve transparency, innovation, efficiency, and disruption in a data-driven economy. ATTOM multi-sources property tax, deed, mortgage, foreclosure, environmental risk, natural hazard, and neighborhood data for more than 155 million U.S. residential and commercial properties covering 99 percent of the nation’s population. A rigorous data management process involving more than 20 steps validates, standardizes, and enhances the real estate data collected by ATTOM, assigning each property record with a persistent, unique ID — the ATTOM ID. The 30TB ATTOM Data Warehouse fuels innovation in many industries including mortgage, real estate, insurance, marketing, government and more through flexible data delivery solutions that include ATTOM Cloud, bulk file licenses, property data APIs, real estate market trends, property navigator and more. Also, introducing our newest innovative solution, making property data more readily accessible and optimized for AI applications– AI-Ready Solutions.

Media Contact:
Megan Hunt
megan.hunt@attomdata.com

Data and Report Licensing:
datareports@attomdata.com

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Technology

Acer Debuts on Dow Jones Sustainability World Index 2024

Published

49 minutes ago

December 24, 2024

Representing Top 10% of the largest 2,500 Companies in S&P BMI on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria

TAIPEI, Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Acer Inc. (TWSE: 2353) announced its debut on the Dow Jones Sustainability (DJSI) World Index 2024, which comprises of the global sustainability leaders identified by S&P Global’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA). The DJSI World Index represents the top 10% of the largest 2,500 companies in the S&P Global Broad Market Index (BMI) based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria.

At the same time, Acer was listed on DSJI’s Emerging Markets Index for the 11th consecutive year in 2024, ranking among the top companies in the THQ (Computers & Peripherals and Office Electronics) industry and scoring in the 100th percentile with full marks across various components: Transparency & Reporting, Materiality, and Customer Relationship Management.

Acer’s commitment to making a positive impact on environmental sustainability includes joining the RE100 initiative, setting the goals to source 100% renewable electricity by 2035 and to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. In 2023 the Acer Group sourced 48% renewable electricity worldwide, with 100% renewable electricity sourced in multiple countries. Acer’s efforts have been recognized in growing capacity by global sustainability accolades and indices throughout 2024:

Listed among TIME’s World’s Most Sustainable Companies.Listed in the MSCI ESG Leaders Indexes for the 11th consecutive year, garnering the best rating of “AAA”[1] that represents the top 15% in the category of technology hardware, storage and peripherals industry.Awarded Platinum medal for EcoVadis’ Sustainability Ratings for the third straight year, the highest tier of recognition representing the top 1% of rated companies[2] evaluated on sustainability across global supply chains based on four key themes: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.A constituent of the FTSE4Good Emerging Index for the ninth consecutive year.In the subcategory FTSE4Good TIP Taiwan ESG Index[3] supported by the Taiwan Stock Exchange, which integrates ESG management practices and financial performances of companies, for the seventh year.

Acer continues to research and design climate-conscious solutions that serve both humanity and the planet, providing greener choices for a brighter future. Its eco-conscious offering includes computers and display products built with recycled materials and energy-efficient solutions, lifestyle products such e-bikes and e-scooters, energy storage solutions, along with award-winning packaging designs to contribute to the industry.

[1] MSCI ESG AAA Rating as of November 26, 2021, updated on December 10, 2024

[2] Ecovadis rating, August 2024

[3] First Taiwan domestic benchmark developed using FTSE ESG Ratings and data model, developed in partnership with Taiwan Stock Exchange’s (TWSE) wholly-owned subsidiary, Taiwan Index Plus Corp. (TIP)

About Acer

Founded in 1976, Acer is one of the world’s top ICT companies with a presence in more than 160 countries. As Acer evolves with the industry and changing lifestyles, it is focused on enabling a world where hardware, software and services will fuse with one another, creating ecosystems and opening up new possibilities for consumers and businesses alike. Acer’s 7,700 employees are dedicated to the research, design, marketing, sale, and support of products and solutions that break barriers between people and technology. Please visit www.acer.com for more information.

© 2024 Acer Inc. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks, and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners. All offers subject to change without notice or obligation and may not be available through all sales channels. Prices listed are manufacturer suggested retail prices and may vary by location. Applicable sales tax extra.

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Technology

LG ACHIEVES 13TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN DOW JONES SUSTAINABILITY WORLD INDEX

Published

49 minutes ago

December 24, 2024

Only South Korean Company Recognized in Leisure Equipment & Products and Consumer Electronics Category for 13 Years

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Dec. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics (LG) has once again secured its position in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) for the thirteenth consecutive year. The DJSI World ranks the top 10 percent of the largest 2,500 global companies based on their economic, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, serving as a critical benchmark for investors assessing corporate sustainability.

Notably, LG earned the highest overall score in the Leisure Equipment & Products and Consumer Electronics industry category. Furthermore, it remains the only South Korean company to be included in this category for 13 years running.

Additionally, LG has been included in the DJSI Asia Pacific (top 20 percent of the 600 largest companies in the Asia-Pacific region) and DJSI Korea (top 30 percent of the 200 largest companies in Korea) for 15 and 16 consecutive years, respectively.

LG received high evaluations across various ESG areas, including environmental policy and management, human rights management, human resource management, customer relations, supply chain management and product responsibility management.

Under the ESG management vision of Better Life for All, LG is carrying out various activities with the strategy of 3C for the planet (Carbon neutrality, Circularity, and Clean technology) and 3D for people (Decent workplace, Diversity & inclusion, and Design for all).

To achieve its 3C goals for the planet, LG has set ambitious targets, including reaching carbon neutrality in its product manufacturing process by 2030 and transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.

Specifically, LG plans to reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 1) and indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 2) in the product production stage by 54.6 percent compared to 2017 levels. This will be accomplished through process improvements, the introduction of energy-saving technologies and the use of renewable energy. Notably, LG was the first company in the home appliance industry to obtain UN carbon credits in 2015.

In addition, LG is focused on reducing the unit greenhouse gas emissions of its seven major product groups (TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, home and system air conditioners, and monitors) by 20 percent compared to 2020 levels during the product use stage (Scope 3). This commitment involves various activities aimed at improving the energy efficiency of individual products, thereby reducing overall carbon emissions.

As a member of the UN Global Compact and the Responsible Business Alliance, LG complies with international human rights and labor standards and is enhancing its human rights management processes to respond to strengthening global ESG-related legislation.

In the ESG evaluation and rating announcement results published by the Korea Corporate Governance Service this year, LG received an overall A grade for four consecutive years. LG also received an A grade for five consecutive years in the ESG evaluation conducted by the global ESG evaluation agency Morgan Stanley Capital International, gaining recognition for its ESG management performance from credible domestic and international institutions.

About LG Electronics USA
LG Electronics USA, Inc., based in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is the North American subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc., a $68 billion global innovator in technology and manufacturing. In the United States, LG sells a wide range of innovative home appliances, home entertainment products, commercial displays, air conditioning systems, and vehicle components. LG is an 11-time ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year. The company’s commitment to environmental sustainability and its “Life’s Good” marketing theme encompass how LG is dedicated to people’s happiness by exceeding expectations today and tomorrow. For more information, visit www.LG.com.

Media Contacts:

LG Electronics USA

JL Lavina
jl.lavina@lge.com
www.LG.com

Jennifer Tayebi
Jennifer.tayebi@lg-one.com
LGHAUS@lg-one.com

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Technology

CAS and PetroChina Shanghai Advanced Materials Research Institute announce a collaboration to accelerate new materials discovery and innovation

Published

49 minutes ago

December 24, 2024

SHANGHAI and COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 23, 2024 /CNW/ — CAS, a division of the American Chemical Society specializing in scientific knowledge management, and PetroChina Shanghai Advanced Materials Research Institute Co., Ltd, a subsidiary of the world’s third largest oil company, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), are collaborating for use of the CAS SciFinder Discovery Platform™ to accelerate research and discovery of new chemical materials.

PetroChina Shanghai Advanced Materials Research Institute Co., Ltd. was founded in 2021 to address key technological challenges in advanced chemical materials and drive a transformation of CNPC from a traditional refinery and petrochemical product provider to a more advanced and sustainable material provider. Its research focus includes high-performance engineering materials, high-performance polyolefin and elastomers, special catalysts, advanced membranes, fibers and composites, etc.

CAS, the creator of the world’s most comprehensive and authoritative curated scientific information resource, the CAS Content Collection™, which covers over 150 years of discoveries, provides content and knowledge management solutions and services that accelerate innovation. The CAS SciFinder Discovery Platform, an authoritative scientific technology solution, will enable the institute research scientists to discover more relevant information faster, identify and optimize synthetic routes through a full retrosynthetic analysis of known and undisclosed substances, and locate, compare, and understand scientific methods via the CAS Content Collection.

“We’re excited that PetroChina Shanghai Advanced Materials Research Institute will harness the CAS SciFinder Discovery Platform to accelerate their research and discovery initiatives. Combining the capabilities of this industry-leading CAS solution with the Research Institute’s expertise in material research will result in breakthroughs that bring advanced sustainable materials to the marketplace,” said Manuel Guzman, President of CAS.

PetroChina Shanghai Advanced Materials Research Institute, as a newly established innovation hub, aims to grow into a world-leading, multi-capabilities research institute that drives cutting-edge innovations, pilots industrial-scale technologies, provides technical services, and facilitates academic and value chain collaborations.

“We are very pleased to cooperate with CAS, who will be a strong partner in bringing their sophisticated scientific information solutions to facilitate and speed up our approach to advanced sciences and technologies in novel materials. We are looking forward to exploring more innovative ideas through our engagement with CAS,” said Xudong Huang, Vice President of PetroChina Shanghai Advanced Materials Research Institute.

About CAS

CAS connects the world’s scientific knowledge to accelerate breakthroughs that improve lives. We empower global innovators to efficiently navigate today’s complex data landscape and make confident decisions in each phase of the innovation journey. As a specialist in scientific knowledge management, our team builds the largest authoritative collection of human-curated scientific data in the world and provides essential information solutions, services, and expertise. Scientists, patent professionals, and business leaders across industries rely on CAS to help them uncover opportunities, mitigate risks, and unlock shared knowledge so they can get from inspiration to innovation faster. CAS is a division of the American Chemical Society. Connect with us at cas.org.

About PetroChina Shanghai Advanced Materials Research Institute

PetroChina Shanghai Advanced Materials Research Institute, located in the Lingang Shanghai, was established in December 2021. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) with innovation functions in fundamental research, product development, industrial-scale piloting, technical service and academic collaborations. The research areas cover a broad spectrum of novel chemical materials for the markets of electronics, medical, transportation and new energy.

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